MARCUS ISLAND RAID

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 56, 3 September 1943, Page 5

MARCUS ISLAND RAID

LARGE ASR FORCE USED

NEW YORK, September 2. Tokio radio says that 160 United States bombers and fighters participated in the raid on Marcus Island, and that 12 of them were shot down. "We suffered casualties and damage to ground installations and grounded planes," the radio said. '

Observers at Pearl Harbour express the opinion that the attack on Marcus Island signified the opening phase of the long-awaited real- offensive in the Pacific, says the "New York Times." There are indications that further blows inside Japan's defensive perimeter may be expected. The destruction of Marcus Island would deprive Japan of an important air base, which has served the dual purpose -of a relay point to the Marshalls and a defensive airfield less than 1000 miles from Tokio. It is recalled that Marcus Island was attacked on March 4, 1942, by carrierbased aircraft, but yesterday's announcement of both shelling and bombing operations shows that the Pacific Fleet now intends to remove Marcus Island permanently as a Japanese base, whereas last year's operations were merely harassing. So far there is no indication of the size of the attacking forces, or from where they struck, but it is believed that an Allied naval concentration of considerable power is at sea.